Jeff Parke Traded to Philadelphia Union

RENTON, WASH. - Seattle Sounders FC has traded defender Jeff Parke to the Philadelphia Union in exchange for allocation money and a 2013 first-round Supplemental Draft pick, the club announced today.

Parke, 30, played three seasons for Sounders FC and was voted the club's Defender of the Year in 2011 and 2012. He made 78 regular-season appearances for Seattle, including 77 starts, and has 210 career MLS appearances during his nine-year career. Parke appeared in 39 of 48 matches across all competitions in 2012. Overall, he has started 102 of his 105 appearances across all competitions with Seattle, logging 8,848 minutes.

"We would like to thank Jeff for his outstanding contributions to Sounders FC," said Owner and General Manager Adrian Hanauer. "Jeff has been a fantastic pro and valuable to our success as a team. Sometimes family trumps soccer, and in this case, we were able to help Jeff get closer to his family. We wish Jeff well and he will always have a place in Sounders history."

Parke was named MLS Player of the Week after scoring the game-winner over Sporting Kansas City on May 21, 2011. He also recorded the game-winning assist in the 2011 U.S. Open Cup Final against the Chicago Fire.

Seattle selected Parke from the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Expansion Draft on November 26, 2008, and he signed with the club on May 13, 2010. Prior to joining Sounders FC, he was a five-year starter for New York where he was named the club's 2007 Defender of the Year, the 2006 Ironman and Co-Unsung Player of the Year, and earned the club's Newcomer of the Year honors in 2004. Parke was selected with the last pick (60th overall) in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft.